BALTIMORE, Dec. 7 -- When November began, there was reason for optimism among Washington's football players and their fans. The first half of the [URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Washington+Redskins?tid=informline"]Redskins[/URL]' season brought a glimpse of a first-year coach, [URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Jim+Zorn?tid=informline"]Jim Zorn[/URL], who seemed to have a knack for calling the right play at the right time. The defense appeared stout enough to hold up as the weather turned frigid.